I can be a champ again, says Parker

By
Elizabeth Ah-Hi
,
03 September 2018

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Failure is not fatal and it certainly does not mean the end of the world, says former W.B.O champion, Lupesoliai Joseph Parker.

Two consecutive defeats as well as a first time knock down in the recent fight against Dillian Whyte has rattled fans and created uncertainty, but the 26-year-old former champion said he is starting from scratch and will not abandon plans to regain the heavy weight boxing world title.

“A lot of people say to me, you’re young and you can retire. Yes, I can retire, I have enough money to retire and support – it’s not about the money. I just want to rebuild and fight those guys again because I know I can beat them. I know I can be champion again.

“I’m still young and just because I had two losses it doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. What I do from here onwards is a new beginning and I’ll be building my way back up again which means getting two or three wins under my belt before I can fight for the title again,” he added.

Win or lose, Parker has emphasised that he still intends to retire at the age of 31. Therefore, going forward, his training regime will now see an increase in the number of his sparring partners amongst other changes.

“With all the experiences and all the hate, the negativity as well as the positivity gives you thick skin – I think I can handle a lot now. This is the first time I’ve ever been knocked down and it’s not the best experience, but I got up and I was fresh. You learn from it, get strength from it and you just carry on and so long as I have goals that I have set out to achieve - I don’t care what anyone else says.”

Parker was in Samoa recently, in his capacity as brand ambassador for Digicel, and said that during his hectic schedule he still had the chance to talk to fans, who gave him words of encouragement as well as advice. Part of his comeback, he says involves sticking with him through the good, the bad and the ugly times.

“I think that as long as everyone supports us in what we are trying to achieve and come along for the ride, I’m just going out there to do my best and make our countries proud. Now that I’ve lost to those two guys, if I fight again – the money won’t be the same, not even close but it’s not about the money. Samoa, if you continue to support us, trust us and believe in what we can achieve – we’re going to be champions again,” he added.